


Summer comes in like Poppies

by KeanBlade



Series: Color of Vermilion- AU's of the au color in red. [8]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Fix-It, Ghost!Tobirama, M/M, Matchmaker Naruto, Senju Tobirama Needs a Hug, Senju Tobirama raises Naruto, Sort Of, Uchiha Madara Needs a Hug, no beta we die like men, not active
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2020-11-02 01:35:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20577446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeanBlade/pseuds/KeanBlade
Summary: Tobirama was so fucking frustrated. At first his lingering after death hadn’t bothered him to much, after all it was basically his choice to linger; when he was given the chance to choose- he made the chance to choose- he wouldn’t let go of the people he loved. But Madara was being kept from him and a meeting with a blond man on the edge of death gives him another person to care for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Within the 'color in red' verse this timeline branches off in part after Tobirama's death when Hamura decides he wants things to go differently and then departing the prime!timeline after Naruto's birth. It also references the second chapter of 'infinite wishing' and that is probably worth reading for context.
> 
> But basically for anyone who hasn't read that series here's the short version: Tobirama healed Izuna after wounding him and Izuna killed him at him same time. After Tobirama died Madara fell in love with him as he learned more about him in part from the extensive plans he left for the village. Hashirama never really talked about his brother out of grief so Tobirama wasn't well known though he was important. Madara still left the village grief stricken and eventually Zetsu got his hooks in.

Tobirama was so fucking frustrated. At first his lingering after death hadn’t bothered him to much, after all it was basically his choice to linger; when he was given the chance to choose- he made the chance to choose- he wouldn’t let go of the people he loved.

(_He died with a promise on his tongue and satisfaction a bitter like burning sage; he always paid his depts and he doesn’t regret the price of this one- not as long as Madara didn’t have to grieve- and he hopes- begs- that it be enough for peace, that it be will enough to wash the slate clean- and with it all traces of the White Demon- and the village of Hashirama’s dreams- Tobirama’s academy- will be built and some of him will live on with the plans he left behind if they are found to be good enough for use. Maybe they will take what he left them and use it to make a world worth living for, maybe they will find what he left useful and he will have mattered as something more than a killing machine- he would like that, like to have a better legacy than the White Demon- and maybe they will think of him better after his death than before- maybe Madara will know him as more than the Senju freak, maybe he will even think of Tobirama with affection?_

_The world faded, thinning around him and for a moment he almost thought he felt and warm calloused hand on his cheek, thought he saw dark hair and spinning red eyes; but then the illusion- lie- was gone and he was nothing more than a fading afterimage of worth, tasting sage and smelling cloves and all but gone. There was movement near him, and he saw long sheets of silver- hair?- shift and a voice, sad and light and too resonant, **Oh what has my brother done to you my child? What grief has he wrought on the world that you should die thinking that you matter so little? **Tobirama shifted, he wanted to ask what they meant, why would he think Tobirama mattered? But there was no breath in him to find words. He thought he felt a touch over his brow and the voice spoke again **What a waste. You could have done so much, and you will be so dearly missed, I fear for him, your Uchiha love, his fate…** That ran like a shock through Tobirama and he struggle against the whisper of the Pure Lands, he couldn’t let anything happen to Madara, that was what he had died to prevent _

**_My child do not weep_**_ cool fingers brushed the hot tears from his cheeks as he struggled to speak, _please, not Madara_, he wanted to beg, please. There was a sad deep sound, **Oh my dear son, would that I could…. Though, perhaps- Hagoromo- my brother has perhaps- No. This has gone on too long. If you are willing to fight the call I will give you leave to linger for what good it might do, however little. A chance for a better death for your love. **Tobirama didn’t hesitate, all his life he had fought and though he had wished for rest in death he wouldn’t leave Madara to a fate that shikigami feared, not as long as he could change it. Someone was leaning over him, and gentle fingers tugged open his mouth, the shikigami breathed into him and something in him _shifted_ went cold and warm all at once. Cloves and yarrow in the air he breathed.)_

So, he had lingered, fighting against the pull of the Pure Lands and rest no matter how much he wanted it; it took him a long time- in so much as time was counted in the border of death- to find a way into the world again. He saw glimpses of the world, of the village, in flashes and after a time he found his way into Madara’s dreams; for all that he couldn’t make the other man know him he did the best he could to ease him a little, hurting for the other man and confused by the pain he felt (dreams were rarely clear enough for him to understand what was happening, all he could do was sit with Madara and eventually he got up the bravery to run his fingers through that _beautiful_ dark hair). And then, and then Touka died (_God, Touka…_) and something dragged Madara beyond his reach entirely and Tobirama lost years to trying to fight that clinging rot, trying to find his way back to Madara; but it was hard and Tobirama was tired (had been tired for a long time and couldn’t yet go to his rest, not until Madara went as well) and he lost more time as he desperately tried to find his way back and not let the Pure lands call him away.

It was then that he stumbled upon Kurama, he found the tailed beast on the edge of death as his being was split in two, and one half being dragged into the Shinigami with a blond man. Tobirama couldn’t allow that, he moved every bit as fast here as he had in life and broke the seal (interesting work) freeing the man to the call of the Pure Lands instead of imprisonment in the Shinigami; his eyes went huge and he reached out desperate “_Naruto! No! the beast will kill my son if he can! Please rebind me and so him!”_ Tobirama frowned and began weaving a new seal, taking the original as a base and wove a web of twisting water and lightning “I will not leave you to languish instead of going to your rest. But if you fear that so I will make a place for the Yin Kyuubi to stay separate from the other half- I assume your son contains the other half?” the blond man sagged, “_Thank you,”_ he whispered “_thank you”_ as he faded into the peace Tobirama denied himself. Yin Kyuubi he lulled into sleep and tucked into a pocket of power between realms, a space built from seals and the hiraishin. Good enough until Tobirama could discover more about Naruto and make sure the child was well, he owed that to the blond man (and he couldn’t reach Madara now anyway, he wouldn’t stop trying- never- but perhaps he should look into other things as well).

And these here he was today, lingering in the dreams of a baby- dreams he could find only by following the thin thread of the Kyuubi’s chakra- and trying to see what was happening in the world about him, find out why Naruto’s dreams were cold and empty of love. Tobirama stared at the baby, somehow within the boy’s dreams things were different from what he was used too, and it was more like lucid dreaming; here he could affect the surroundings it seemed. Hmmm. Perhaps…. The world around him twisted and reformed into the shape of a traditional open walled pavilion sitting on the glimmering span of dark water that spread in every direction, pierced here and there by jagged rocks as if the water wanted to be a rock garden. The pavilion was warmly light and the air inside was fresh in a way that it wasn’t on the dark water (the air smelled of those things Tobirama found comforting, cloves and pine and clean water and rosehips); inside he created a low couch and gently tucked the crying baby to his chest rocking him until the painful sobbing slowed and stopped. He spent the night like that for as long as he could, holding the child as he moved around and examining softly glowing the seal on his belly- an extremely clever work- and whenever he was able to return (less than he would like between his aching fight against true death and search for Madara) he did the same; carrying Naruto- never putting him down- in the world he rebuilt every time and telling the wide eyed boy about everything his ideas regarding the seal on his stomach and it’s repercussions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I write fast and don't edit much- this is a place for me to not have to worry too much about perfection and just enjoy it- so things can be mangled at times. (I've got a wonky brain that can't see symbols as well, so I frequently can't even see mistakes) That's not something that's likely to change any time soon, so if imperfect writing puts you off this probably isn't for you


	2. Chapter 2

It took a long time for Naruto to realize that not everyone had a dragon that visited them in their dreams and talked to them, but he remembers it, he remembers being very young (his first memory) and being help to someone’s chest, remembers warmth and a rich voice speaking to him, remembers learning his first words from the red eyed man, remembers the way he looked when Naruto’s first word was too him, when he pointed at the red streaked cheeks and said ‘_D’w’gn_’ (Tobirama’s eyes had blown wide and joyful before sorrow settled over him again; to have the first word of a child be for _him_…); and then the dragon had disappeared and Naruto had been _sure_ that he was alone again (even at night when before that had been his only safe space- the only place anybody talked to him, the only place he was touched with warmth, the only person who _cared_ and to be abandoned by them--).

The night the dragon came back Naruto have been kicking his feet at the water, trying to see if he could fall in (at least the white man- the dragon- had left him a nice place to dream of) when there was a loud thump in the pavilion behind him and Naruto spun, shocked and wary and – curled on the floor was the white man breathing hard and twisted up the way Naruto did when he had got hit with a rock and Naruto – he ran over tripping over his feet as he landed at the man’s side squeaking in worry as he tried to get words he still had trouble with out. Red eyes slit open, “_Hello, Naruto_” a rich voice whispered and – Naruto burst into tears (when was the last time he had been called by his name?); there was a rush and then warm arms around him and he was being rocked and he could smell sage and river mint (he hadn’t realized it was missing from the ever present scent of cloves and pine that wafted around the land of his dreams) _“Shhh, it’s alright Naruto, I’m sorry I was gone so long, it was… hard to find my way back, the Pure Lands called and I had to find a way to convince them to let me be, I’m sorry little one_.” It took a long time for Naruto’s eyes to dry wrapped up in the dragon’s arms; sniffled and tucked himself closer, “You go’na w’eve ‘gain?” he asked (Tobirama winced, had no one taught the boy how to speak better than this? he had only been gone about nine months he thought, Naruto certainly wasn’t more than three and though he had always been a little slow to learn things- but that was largely him not having _any _help willing to _listen_ to him- he should have been doing better than this? Unless… surely _someone_ had started paying attention to him by now? _Surely_).

It took hours to calm the little boy down enough to get a better feel for what was happening, and when he did he wanted to_ kill _something; Naruto had been utterly on his own for the entirety of his time in the orphanage, he had had no love and very little affection but he had had food given to him and a warm place to sleep. They never held him, never praised him, never gave him any attention or affection but they had kept him clean and fed and warm and now….. Tobirama didn’t know who this Hokage was but he _detested_ the man. Deeply. Because now Naruto was on his own, completely on his own in a village that seemed to hate him for something he didn’t understand (something _Tobirama_ didn’t understand, he was too tired to see the world anymore, not and maintain the thin thread he had to both Madara and the Yin Kyuubi’s sleeping space and he _wasn’t_ giving up either). Without out even the most basic of information on what was happening around him or why he was being treated the way he was Tobirama was somewhat at a loss on how to help Naruto but _clearly_ he needed to make more effort to be here _now_; he wasn’t going to give up his ties or his search for a way to help Madara (he didn’t know how to give up on Madara) but for now… well, Tobirama knew all too well that shinobi grew up _fast_. Naruto needed him here _now_, to help with all the things that no one else was willing to see; to help him speak and to help him read and to show him how to learn and sneak and – well. Tobirama needed to be here now and Naruto would only need him this badly for a few years, then maybe he could go back to looking for a way to Madara once the little boy was a little better settled? (he could hope, but, but he had never found a way to Madara before and what if- _no_, Naruto needed him, and he could still feel Madara a little. He was needed here, and he had always done what was needed.)

* * *

Tobirama smiled at the small child sitting on the edge of the pavilion kicking his feet out over the still water and pouting when the ripples were too small to count for anything "Naruto, you need to come work on your homework" he called gently and the boy hunch farther "Why? I'm too stupid for it anyway, it'll never make sense to me." Tobirama sighed quietly and stood moving to sit next to the blond "What makes you say that?" He asked and Naruto shrugged tipping his head down "Everybody knows I'm an idiot" he muttered; Tobirama hummed thoughtfully "Do you think I'm stupid?" He asked and Naruto jolted upright staring at him "NO! You're the smartest person _ever_ Sensei!" Tobirama smiled a little "And do you think I would waste my time on an idiot?" Naruto visibly stalled, Tobirama had never hid his distaste for fools or impatience with the ignorant so... "Um, no?" Tobirama nodded firmly "Exactly, so if I am spending time teaching you when I could be looking for Madara" Naruto winced but Tobirama had never believe in hiding things from children, he had heard about the older Uchiha "then there must be a reason."

Naruto frowned at his feet "But why does everyone hate me?" He asked on a small voice and Tobirama sighed, he had explained this before about the Kyuubi- his best guess as to the anger directed at his young ward- but it was a hard thing to understand as a child, he knew that with the visceral ache of personal experience "There is nothing to be done with the fear of the ignorant" he told the child. Naruto drew his knees up to his chest and tucked him chin into them "I love Konoha, but... I don't think I like it very much" he whispered. Tobirama wrapped an arm around the small shoulders "Once upon a time I fought for people that hated and feared me for duty and family I loved more than anything. And once upon a time I died for a man that probably barely knew my name. Everyone has to find a reason to do what they must; yours is a _good_ reason Naruto, and one worth fighting for." The blond leaned heavily into him, "You fought for the past" he whispered "I want to fight for the future." And Tobirama pressed a faint kiss to the sunshine hair, "You are very brave, hope takes much more strength than simple persistence. However, that's not going to get you out of homework; up you get, or I'm make you do writing drills" the blond yelped and launch himself to his feet and darted back into the pavilion. For a long moment Tobirama stayed looking out over the water, he miss them, missed Touka and Hashirama (and _Madara_) but.. this was where he was needed and every bit of time he spent away searching for Madara was time that Naruto spent alone but for the malicious murmuring (<strike>this was not what he had wanted the village to be</strike>), and though that had not stopped Tobirama looking (desperately searching and searching and _searching_) he spent as much time as he could living in Naruto's dreams (probably five nights a week give or take, better than nothing) giving the child a chance to know the support that should have been his since the beginning.

Tobirama tapped his fingers in the wood of the low table, watching as Naruto slogged his way through the reading Tobirama had set him- reading was not the boy's best subject- he was very much a physical learner- but with Tobirama's encouragement and frequent breaks he would fight his way through them anyway and the Senju didn't keep him at it for too long before letting him run through exercises while Tobirama taught him vocally. He was proud of Naruto really, the blond had come a long way since they had started working and his handwriting was rather lovely if probably a bit antiquated given that Tobirama was teaching the child what he knew for lack of knowing what the modern standard was; in fact Naruto's _entire_ education was a bit antiquated and scattershot, but Tobirama could only teach him what he knew and there was a heavy emphasis on what he would need to know to survive since no one else seemed to be watching out for him and there were so many angry people around him (at some point hate _always_ turned to violence, Tobirama thought the only reason it hadn't yet was that the Hokage seemed to have some interest in him- of course he would want to tend his weapon, but taking care of the little boy? Not important to him apparently, the ass) so the Senju did everything in his power to make sure Naruto wouldn't die before he had a chance to get to the academy, speaking of- "Do you still want to go the academy next year?" He asked. Naruto paused and chewed at his lip, "I- I want to, but, but you said that one of the best things in a shinobi’s arsenal" (Tobirama was so proud of his vocabulary) "is being underestimated, you di’n't like it when you got old enough to be well know an’ even then you used, um, 'luering them into false security so they think they've won’ to get them. So, um, I thought, would it be good if I did the same? Um, everyone thinks I'm stupidity but what if I let them keep thinking it for a while?"

Tobirama's eyebrows flicked up, "You'd be willing to do that?" He asked slowly, it had always been Naruto's dearest goal to prove to everyone that he was good and worth something though Tobirama had swayed that away from being the Hokage for now. Naruto shrugged, "I don't like it but, well, ‘f it’d make you happy if I was protected bit longer wouldn' it?" Tobirama could feel his face soften, "You shouldn't make a choice based on that" he hesitated "but yes, I would feel a bit better if I knew people were underestimating you. There will be those that want to control you because of the power you hold, but if they think you a silly fool you will be safer." (Naruto was pretty sure the warmth that filled him every time Tobirama-sensei was worried about him was never going to get old) the boy nodded and took a deep breath "I don' mind waiting then, pretendin’ a little ‘til after academy at least. I don' want to forever, but I can do it until I’n defend myself better" Tobirama reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair, "Thank you." He said softly, it was a greater relief than he had expected to know that Naruto was going to wait until he was eight to enter, that gave him a little under two years to make sure that he was prepared and to introduce him to the Kyuubi, he had wanted to do it next year but hadn’t been sure about doing it to close the Naruto entering the Academy unwilling to see something go wrong if the meeting had unexpected side effects. Now he had time to look into the seal that way he wanted to before he introduced them, introduced all of them really, he had never met the tailed beast either and was rather looking forward to it even if he was more than a little wary what with so much on the line.


	3. Chapter 3

Tobirama looked at the red gates in front of him with slightly pursed lips feeling Naruto’s small hands to tighten on his pants, “Tha’s the Kyuubi?” the seven year old whispered and Tobirama nodded with a soft hum, examining it and holding _very_ still; he was hiding them from the Kyuubi but it wasn’t easy and was only really possible because the tailed beast was so busy sulking (it wasn’t _totally_ undeserved Tobirama would admit, but still, _sulking_) that he was completely ignoring his surroundings. “Do you remember what I taught you?” he asked under his breath and Naruto nodded vigorously, soft blond hair brushing Tobirama’s fingers; the Uzumaki took a deep breath squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Tobirama watched their surrounding carefully seeing the beginnings of the shift Naruto was trying to make flicker at the edges of the space; the look of a damp sewer faded a little, shifting and fluctuating as the light changed a little and the water changed into a glassy mirror of what Tobirama had made in their shared dream space. Tobirama took one last look around at it just as there was a deep rumbling from the red gates and he whisked Naruto and himself away, nodding approvingly even as they body flickered back into the dream space.

“Did i’ work!?” Naruto asked brightly, Tobirama smiled “It looked like it, it might be hard to keep it up so you might have to redo it, but I think you are right about it being easier to be nice if you are living somewhere nice.” Naruto glowed “I was thinking that if I didn’ have some place nice to go with you I’d be a lo’ more cranky” Tobirama carefully hid his wince, he _really _hated this Hokage and was working with Naruto on chakra stealth techniques, the challenge when Tobirama thought he was good enough as going to be seeing how long Naruto could prank the old-jackass before he was caught (Tobirama was sure it would be a _long_ time, the kid was already brilliant at it and with a little help- and other clothing, Tobirama had no problem showing Naruto how to steal from awful people- he would be unstoppable). “And what were you planning to make it look like?” he asked, Naruto smiled his sunshine smile “Just like this” he said, waving his hand to the wide space Tobirama had made “only at night ‘cuse I don’t want to try and make the sky bright, that’d be _hard_” and Tobirama looked at his wide open water, rippling ever so slightly in the pine scented breeze with its misty horizons and tall rocks (Naruto ran drills up and down the tallest and perched on the thin ones to practice balance), the sky was a misty faded indigo (_<strike>Uchiha</strike>_<strike> indigo</strike>) and the ‘sun'light was defused and indistinct. “You’re going to make it like this?” Naruto nodded jumping up and down (and staying on top of the water the Senju was pleased to see) “Yup! But I’m gonna make it black water an’ sky! It’ll be cool!!” Tobirama ruffled his hair, “I’m sure it will be,” he said fondly “we can go try saying hello tomorrow and see how it goes, though if the growling is anything to go by it will take a while to make any progress.” Naruto pouted and kicked at the water but nodded anyway.

Tobirama sighed and led them back to the pavilion and it’s sofas “Naruto, I told you about the seal your father used” Tobirama didn’t believe in keeping secrets from children, he had know worse at this age “and that when you were older and you chakra has settled- and we can ask the Kyuubi- I would help you find a better seal if I can.” he was making a seal to tuck away this notes in Naruto’s mind, it felt invasive but Tobirama wasn’t foolish enough to bank on his continued existence “There is something else I wanted to give you, it’s called the seal matrix of the River Dragon and it’s a charka limiter; think about it like this, charka is like fire and everyone has a lamp inside of them to light their way and keep them warm, and one or two people have a fireplace or a campfire or even a candle and they learn to use that. But you, Naruto, are on fire, because of your Uzumaki reserves and the Kyuubi you have _far_ more chakra than most people and in time that can start to hurt, if it doesn’t yet it might when you use chakra more regularly. The seal matrix of the River Dragon is set up to help smooth out and store chakra properly, it gives the fire someplace to go and be stored until you need it instead of burning you.”

Naruto chewed on his lip, he had come a long way, even a few months ago he would have agreed with Tobirama just because _Tobirama _had suggested it, but now he was taking time to think things through even from those he trusted (Tobirama never knew for sure that the Pure Lands or something else wouldn’t keep him from returning one day and he _needed_ Naruto to be ready if he vanished), “I think, I think that’d be good, it’ll ready hurts sometimes and ‘f you think it’d help I should do it now righ’?” Tobirama smiled a tiny bit “Exactly” he said and led the boy to the table to start teaching him what he was doing; it was too complicated for him to really learn it right now but Naruto had the Uzumaki gift for sealing (learning about the Uzumaki had been… hard, Tobirama had raised Naruto with stories about Mito and told him as soon as he could about his family- as soon as he was sure Naruto could understand secrets- and when the boy had found out what had happened to the island clan he had cried for two days) and with that family ability he would be able to learn how to understand it eventually– probably sooner rather than later- and then remake it or change it as he needed but it would be several months before he felt comfortable placing it on Naruto and the sooner they started the better (especially with the Academy set as a deadline).

* * *

Naruto was all but vibrating with excitement where he was clutching Tobirama’s hand and staring at the huge bulk of the Kyuubi through the red bars (the blond had done a good job with changing the seal space, it wasn’t perfect- the light hadn’t really changed at all- but it was a great improvement with the clean dark water they stood on) “Can we say hi?” he whispered- loudly, very loudly, Tobirama sighed- and the Senju watched the giant fox with sharp eyes, “Where are your manners Naruto?” he asked softly- the Kyuubi would hear it anyway but it was the _appearance_ of politeness that mattered- “We shouldn’t interrupt sleeping beings, if they wishes to sleep then we shall let them do so.” Naruto’s bright face fell “Oh, I hoped that maybe I could meet 'em, you said they're the strongest being in the _world_. That’s _crazy!?!_” Tobirama hummed and pet his hair “I know, but you have to be polite, they have very little else they have power over in the seal but who they talk to and how” “Oh” Naruto whispered “I.. hadn’t thought of it like that” he whispered, face falling deeply “Tobira-sensei why did my dad seal the Kyuubi in me?” he asked.

Tobirama winced, he hated this question, it was one that Naruto asked a lot (_“Why did dad do this and make them hate me?” “why did dad do this and leave me alone?” “why did dad do this and what did I do to deserve it?”_) and Tobirama only ever had one answer “I don’t know Naruto. I know he died as he did it, and I know he was afraid for you - but I don’t know why.” Naruto shoved his face into Tobirama’s hip and the tall man pressed a hand between his shaking shoulders, ignoring the tailed beast watching them with thin slit red eyes. “Can we go back?” Naruto asked in a watery voice “I don’ wan’a bother Kyuubi if they don’ wan’a talk” Tobirama nodded “We can try again later, we’ll just try until he wants to talk” he said and whisked them away to the dream space (the afterimage of staring down ageless wrathful eyes lingering with him a long time). Naruto curled into his lap on the sofa and dragged his fingers through Tobirama’s fur ruff (Tobirama was planning on telling him how to make his own but he hated that he couldn’t just _give_ the boy one) “Tell me about Madara-sama again?” he asked quietly, as he always did when he was upset (Tobirama knew it was in part because it made _Tobirama_ happy and in part because he _adored _the man in the Senju’s stories) and Tobirama nodded, as he always did, searching for a new story to tell about the man he _still_ loved (could still feel sometimes, still sense the brush of him in the spaces Tobirama always searched, but never long enough for the albino to do anything for than reach and miss- <strike>and miss and miss and miss and miss</strike>) “Did I tell you about the time that Madara and Hashirama managed to confuse a herd of deer into thinking they were matting?”.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that Naruto doesn't have his verbal tick so let's just say that with Tobirama raising him he learned how to speak differently....

“Hold still Naruto” Tobirama said for the twentieth time, the little boy froze but still some how gave off the sense of wiggling in his skin “Sorry Tobira-sensei, ‘m just excited” “I know you are but if I ink this on wrong we’ll have to start over, _again_” Tobirama chastised, the boy grimaced but held still as the Senju inked out the last parts of the River Dragon on the back of his neck, checking the lines that followed from the complicated seal painted on the seven cervical vertebrae and sent two fine lines around to follow his jaw and two more that followed his collar bones and met in a tiny fractal seal at the dip in the center. It all looked correct, there was no reason not to activate it but… Tobirama shook himself, this was silly, it was good and he could stop it if it tried to go wrong- he had placed it on Hashirama when he was much less skilled after all-, he took a breath and raised his brush to finish the last line “You ready?” he asked “_Yup!_” said Naruto forcing himself to breath out the way Tobirama had told him to; the Senju drew the line and infused chakra into the seal matrix (a little more yin than yang in deference to his lower yin levels from the Kyuubi’s split), it took and the lines flashed gold, spider silk thin strands unfurling out of the main seal and flowing over his skin in search of tenketsuin points to spiral around before it faded into invisibility except as a golden shine in exactly the right light.

Naruto shivered and swayed as Tobirama stabilized him gently “_whoa”_ the muttered; Tobirama examined him, sweeping a hand lightly coated in green light down his tiny body ( every time Tobirama thought about how small Naruto was he wanted to kill someone, preferably the Hokage) and blowing out a relived breath when the everything checked out, “How do you feel?” he asked, peering at Naruto’s dazed face. The blond blinked dizzily at him “I- I had _no idea_ that it hurt all the time, this is, whoa, I feel so weird and _floaty_” Tobirama sighed, that hadn’t really occurred to him though it should have, he knew from firsthand experience how disorienting it was when you had sudden relief from chronic pain – like being drunk but _better_. “Ah” he said with amusement “it might take you a while to get used to it and the seal will fluctuate as you use chakra so it might not always help as much as now” Naruto nodded vigorously “Still _soooo_ much better” he slurred and Tobirama shook his head leading the punch drunk boy to the sofa “How about you sit down before you fall hmm?” Naruto slumped on the sofa staring blankly at the exposed beams over head and chattering distractedly; Tobirama worked on his storage seal for Naruto’s mind, nodding and humming when Naruto paused until his voice was more focused.

“So! I’ve been thinkin’, you said when I was ready I could start tryin’ to prank the old man; an’ I think I’m ready!” Tobirama put down his brush and shifted to look at the blond; he looked better now; oh sure his pants were still quite a bit too bright in their orange but he wore a kimono style shirt in dark blue over a mesh shirt on top with his fur ruff (Tobirama was proud of him for that, it was thinner than Tobirama’s which made it a little less eye catching and it was also a lovely fox fur red- for the Kyuubi) in a quiet mimic of Tobirama’s most common outfit for all that he had done as the Senju asked and kept his shorter and little less bright so as to let him fade a bit more (he also had the same shirt in both orange and red, he wore the orange most when out but he _always_ wore his fur). He was also getting much better at chakra walking and now that he had the River Dragon he should be able to hide his chakra better, “Hmmm, do you have something in mind?” he asked thoughtfully; Naruto nodded vigorously, “Yup!! I was thinkin’, you said that it’s good to be sub-tle at first an’ then escalate, soooo, what if I just messed with him a bit at first? Like, just moved stuff on his desk a few inches an’ stuff, that should be _weird _for him” Tobirama’s eyebrows flicked up, that was… “A very good idea Naruto, yes I think you can start doing that. Just remember to not go at the same time.” The boy vibrated excitedly “_Yay!!_ Get to prank old-man!” Tobirama laughed a little under his breath and watched him celebrate.

“Would you like to go see Kyuubi tonight as well?” he asked and Naruto sprang to attention like an excited hound, nodding vigorously; the Senju shook his head fondly and stood, “Do you remember how to get there?” Naruto grabbed his hand and squeezed his eyes shut, focusing intensely. The world shifted and they fell through the floor, surrounded for a moment by the mist filled water with Naruto’s flickering thoughts before they dropped onto the water in front of Kyuubi’s seal bars; Naruto’s eyes popped open and he cheered- quietly- when he saw that they had made it “Well done Naruto” Tobirama murmured and the Uzumaki _glowed_. They looked the brilliant red fur on the other side of the seal still but for the soft ruffling of his fur as he breathed, “Do you think he’ll want to talk today?” Naruto asked, Tobirama sighed and touched his head “I don’t know Naruto, we just have to wait until he is ready. It could take a long time and it’s only been a year” the blond whined like a sulky fox (Tobirama wasn’t blind to the slight increase in Naruto’s fox like behaviors, even if he wasn’t talking to the Kyuubi they were effecting him) “A year is _forever_” he whimpered, the Senju shook his head “Patience” “I know… I just don’ like it” he straightened up firmly though “but you are patient with Madara-sama, and you love him, if you can keep trying I can keep tryin’ too!” Tobirama felt his lips tilt in a touched bitter-sweet smile “That a good thing to keep doing. How about I make you a promise, you keep trying and waiting for the Kyuubi to be ready and I’ll keep trying to find a way to talk to Madara” Naruto shot him an unimpressed look “You’re going to keep lookin’ for him anyway, you have for _years and years_.” Tobirama ducked his head ruthfully, it wasn’t like Naruto was _wrong_, “But I’ll promise you anyway, k?” he held out his finger and Tobirama nodded solemnly as he linked them together “Promise”.

* * *

Naruto watched as Tobira-sensei carefully inked a seal on the floor of the pavilion, his entire being focused on what he was doing, on making the seal linger as a dream memory but not affect his actual _mind;_ Tobira-sensei had tried to explain it but it had sort of gone over Naruto’s head for now, it was part of the information that would be stored in the seal until Naruto could understand it. Naruto hated how much Tobira-sensei planned for the idea that he might someday be unable to return to Naruto, it was nice to have Sensei care so much but the blond would much rather pretend that nothing was wrong and there was no way Tobirama was ever going to leave him (leave him like everyone else); but he understood that Tobira-sensei _had_ to keep looking for Madara-sama, he knew that if Sensei stopped he would loose a huge part of himself- Madara-sama _was_ a huge part of Tobira-sensei- and Naruto would never ask that of him (no matter how much he wanted to).

He shifted on his feet, at seven and even with the River Dragon he still felt sometimes like there was _wind_ in his veins and a storm in his soul (_“Is there something wrong with me?” the faint fond smile Naruto would do almost anything for “You are so very Uzumaki sometimes, though I probably haven’t helped that. No Naruto, there is nothing wrong with you; but like most of your clan you need **purpose, **you need something to guide you in the waking world.”_) “Do you think it’s going to work?” he asked anxiously; Tobira-sensei sent him a slightly offended look and Naruto winced, he _knew_ Tobira-sensei wouldn’t be doing it if he though it would work, he knew better than this, “sorry…” he mumbled and Tobira-sensei finished the last swirling line taking a deep breath before he pressed his fingers to it and brilliant gold light flared for a moment. Naruto forced himself not to fidget- he was allowed to do it out side but here Tobira-sensei was always proud when he managed to keep still, the pride was more than enough for Naruto to do his best (it was the reason his handwriting was almost perfect calligraphy after all)- until the Senju leaned back and nodded firmly “It will work, I just have to channel the knowledge into it”; Naruto winced, he was starting the academy tomorrow and had hoped to have time to talk to Tobira-sensei and just spend _time_ with him (and maybe visit the Kyuubi again, he was still waiting for the tailed best to be willing to talk).

Tobira-sensei hummed thoughtfully as he folded his legs and sat close enough to the seal to keep contact and waved Naruto over, the Uzumaki bounded over and threw himself on the floor in front of his Sensei “I need to keep part of my attention on this but I have already though through what to use so we can talk as long as it doesn’t need my full attention; so, what is bothering you?” he said and Naruto blew out a grateful breath chewing on his lip as he tried to get his thoughts in order “I – the village is… I don’t know, strange? right now. I think something’s going to happen to the Uchiha, but I don’t know _what_. Just everybody is lookin’ at them like they look at _me.”_ Tobira-sensei frowned deeply, “How many of them are out of the village?” he asked thoughtfully. Naruto paused an tipped his head in thought “I’m not sure, maybe six?” Tobira-sensei pursed his lips, “That’s not good. Naruto, your importance to the village as a weapon keeps you marginally safe- as does the fact that there is only one of you-“ (Naruto winced, he was glad Tobira-sensei always told him the truth but it was never easy to hear) “but an entire _clan_ being faced with what you have to deal with- they won’t have the right stamina, not like you- is going to cause a great deal of unrest. Eventually if no one does anything- and I don’t think the Hokage will, the ass- then eventually they will rise against the village and either it will be a coup-de-ta, civil war, or the entire clan will be killed.” Naruto swallowed hard, imagining all the Uchiha he knew just being _gone _one day; he watched them a lot (Madara-sama was Uchiha and Naruto felt like he knew Madara-sama from Tobira-sensei’s stories, he _had _to watch them) and if all of them died… what about Shisui who always smiled at him? or Izumi who had slipped him sweets on his fifth birthday?

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked firmly “There must be _something_” Tobira-sensei looked at him for a long moment “There’s not much, Naruto there simply isn’t much you can do at your age. _No_ Naruto, there isn’t much but there is something; can you get into the mission assignments office?” the Uzumaki nodded “Good, slip in and start seeing if you can forged signatures to assign Uchiha to long out-village missions. Do it a little at a time until you think things reach a boiling point, then just ramp it up as fast as possible without arousing suspicion.” Naruto swallowed “How do I know?” he asked; Tobira-sensei shrugged “You’re smart and you have a _very_ good sense of people; in my time we ran missions at your age, I died to stop that but I _know_ you can do this, if you get caught play silly and prank, you’re smart Naruto and I believe in you” the bland rubbed at his prickling eyes, it was a huge task but (Shisui smiling at him and tripping the mean woman that had thrown a tomato at Naruto) he _couldn’t_ not do anything. He could do it, he _would_.


	5. Interlude

“I’m going back” Shisui turned to look at Izumi “You _can’t_-“ “No Shisui, I can’t leave Sasuke on his own, not after what Itachi did, I won’t do that to him, he needs family” Izumi said firmly, tall and firm and strong in a way Shisui had never seen; he swallowed and looked at the baby in his arms, “Do you think you can get away with it? There are people who knew you were close to Itachi and whoever ordered him to do it-“ “You think he had orders?” “-it’s Itachi, he would do anything if ordered” Shisui wasn’t bitter at all “and whoever they are their still there, you could be killed.” She shook her head “I don’t think so, the Uchiha clan is too important and if they want Sasuke sane he _needs_ family, I’m sure I’ll be in danger, but I _won’t_ leave him on his own.”

He looked at her for a long moment before slumping a little “Ok,” he whispered, hiking the baby in his arms a little higher “ok, we’ll go to the ruins of Uzushio liked we planed and I’ll send my ravens to find the other Uchiha that were on mission- we’re lucky it was so many given how much Fugaku wanted us all in village for the coup” Izumi nodded “They expect us to scatter and vanish into the other villages or be killed by bloodline hunters, they won’t think to look for all of us in one place and definitely no there.” She stepped closer and touched his arm “I’m sorry Shisui, I know getting all the kids there on your own isn’t going to be easy” he shifted again, she was right, with six children under five- all that they could get out of the compound before Itachi set it on fire- and just him it was going to be _hard_ but, he understood what she needed to do “I’ll send a raven out as soon as we bed down tonight, I think that Kazue is close enough he should be able to come help me get them to safety right away. We’ll be ok, you just watch out for you and keep us up to date on what’s happening – someday I want to come _home_ again” he said; Izumi swallowed hard and tipped her chin up, it wasn’t in any Uchiha to let go of a home like this- running against every instinct the clan had to leave- and she knew she would have to work hard to stay alive and maybe, _maybe_, someday bring her family home.

“You keep the clan alive and I’ll make sure you have a home to come back to someday” it was a promise they both knew they couldn’t make but they hooked little fingers anyway, a promise made like children as they said goodbye to any childhood at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU without Tobirama to teach them Danzo and Hiruzen never become friends and Danzo never really made anything of himself without what Tobirama taught him so he is a nonentity in this (the best revenge I can think of for that piece of shit). Hiruzen is Hokage at the moment but only because he was the head of a somewhat unbaised clan and a strong (though not as good as in canon) nin when they needed a Hokage.  
This and more about the Uchiha will come up later but I thought it might be good to explain Danzo now.

**Author's Note:**

> This is from a plot bunny that Sharked fed. I said "I'm seriously considering trying to figure out what needs to happen to make that work.... Maybe raising him in his dreams or something? Like if Tobirama is a ghost and a just raises him in his dreams and so Naruto decides that obviously what he needs to do is get his dad together with Madara so then everyone will be happy!" and then she threw food at the bunny: "Naruto heard there’s some Akatsuki weirdo running around calling himself Uchiha Madara and immediately describes him to Tobirama, who goes ‘hell to the no. That’s not Madara.’ So Naruto makes it his mission to figure out who the weirdo really is, which eventually leads him to the real Madara. Naruto is some mixture of confused and excited and outraged, because here’s the love of his dad’s afterlife, ruining everything for everyone. Meanwhile Madara wants to know why the hell the kyuubi jinchuuriki is talking about Tobirama like he knows him firsthand."


End file.
